What makes an agency brand?

Last night the great and the glorious in podcasting gathered not around microphones but tables to attend the sold-out British Podcast Awards 2024, presented by Campaign in partnership with Wondery, Audible, Global, Podcast Discovery and YouTube.From Rylan Clark and Scott Mills to Greg James and the Whitehalls, celebs and independent podcasters alike assembled in London to celebrate the best in the business.In this episode, Lucy Shelley, tech editor at Campaign, and Adam Shepherd, editor of the British Podcast Awards, talk through the event, its highlights and winners as well as the bittersweet moments including a moving tribute to late broadcaster and health expert Dr. Michael Mosley, whose podcast Just One Thing won this year’s Hall of Fame award.Backstage at the awards, we chat to some of the winners including The News Agents, YouTube's head of podcasts, and Tortoise Media. We discuss what podcasting brings to news journalism, if a video podcast counts a podcast, and where we're going next for podcasts.Check out the full list of winners – which include The Rest Is Politics and Help I Sexted My Boss – here.This episode includes interviews with:The News Agents hosts Emily Maitlis, Jon Soper and Lewis GoodallYouTube's head of podcasts Sandy WilheimGood Bad Billionaire hosts Simon Jack and Zing TsjengTortoise Media producer Rebecca Moore and voice of the Sensemaker podcast Tomini BabsGossip Gays hosts Danny Beard and DJ Billy AndrewsFurther reading:Should podcasts behave more like social media?UK is trailing behind US in podcast advertising, says Goalhanger founderGuardian in talks to sell The Observer to Tortoise Media Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Agency brands have been through the wash this year with a laundry load of mergers, acquisitions, closures and some clean and sparkly new shops.In this episode, the Campaign editorial team discuss how agency brands become distinct and recognisable and what concoction of ingredients help them create their own brand.From famous leaders and agency names, to office location and calibre of clients, Campaign's journalists investigate what happens when an agency gets bought (in light of NCA's sale to WPP) and how shops stand out among the competition.Hosted by tech editor Lucy Shelley, this episode includes Maisie McCabe, UK Editor; Charlotte Rawlings, senior creativity reporter and Gideon Spanier, UK editor-in-chief.Spanier takes us through the history of how some of the UK's biggest agencies, including WPP and Saatchi & Saatchi, became who they are today. McCabe examines some of the top creative agency brands and Rawlings suggests that if agencies are so good at building brands for clients, do they need to take a dose of their own medicine?Further reading:WPP buys New Commercial Arts as founders hit jackpot againWhat does adland think of NCA’s sale to WPP?Ogilvy and NCA chiefs on M&A deal, sharing talent and why rivals should be ‘frightened’WPP merges VMLY&R and Wunderman ThompsonWill advertising agencies survive?Laura Jordan Bambach, Hannah Matthews and Fern Miller unveil 'advanced' creative agencyWPP makes £2.8bn annual loss after Covid hits value of agenciesWPP’s Mark Read on the outlook for 2024, bonuses, fewer freelancers and job cutsMaurice Lévy on his Publicis legacy: handing power to Arthur Sadoun ‘worked beautifully’ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Who wants to advertise on Twitter with a maverick owner?," said Gideon Spanier, Campaign's UK editor in chief in this episode.Since Elon Musk took over Twitter, renamed X, journalists have been busy keeping up with the contention surrounding the platform – from cutting staff by 80% to blaspheming advertisers for withholding adspend; filing an antitrust lawsuit against GARM causing the body to close, and posting on X saying “civil war is inevitable” in the UK after the riots that took place this August.After all the controversy, many of X's largest advertisers – including Apple, Warner Bros., Discovery, Sony and Disney – have left the platform. So, in a new, revamped version of the Campaign Podcast, the editorial team ask: What do brands lose by not having X on their plan?This episode welcomes Spanier to the studio with Maisie McCabe, Campaign's UK editor, and Shauna Lewis, deputy media editor. It is hosted by Lucy Shelley, tech editor at Campaign.Read more about what was discussed in this episode:'We can’t see brands ever returning': agency leaders on advertising with X'Now it is war': Elon Musk’s X sues advertisers over alleged ‘illegal boycott’Consultants call GARM antitrust lawsuit ‘disaster’ for XElon Musk on artistic ads, 'foolish' posts and telling advertisers to go fuck themselvesX officially allows ‘consensually produced’ adult contentX/Twitter one year on: Site traffic is up 22.3%Media buyers: ‘Advertisers are not responsible for keeping X afloat — or shutting it down’X-rated Elon Musk burns bridges with concerned advertisers: ‘Go F yourself’Advertisers flee X as Elon Musk announces 'thermonuclear' lawsuitIBM suspends advertising on X (Twitter) after ads appear next to Nazi posts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Language is everything" in advertising, particularly for the Paralympics.Channel 4's "Considering what?" campaign frames Paralympians as world-class athletes rather than competitors "overcoming" their disabilities. The International Paralympic Committee's “They’re not playing games” left messages on social media from the Paris Paralympic 2024 athletes saying “I won’t be participating at the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games” to then reveal that they will be "competing".This year's advertising sees a movement to correctly represent the athletic and sporting champions in the Paralympics games, kicking the "well-meant bullshit" out of its vocabulary.Going behind the scenes of these campaigns and discussing what has changed in the media for the Paris 2024 Paralympics, we speak to:Lynsey Atkin, outgoing executive creative director of Channel 4’s in-house agency 4Creative;Tom Ghiden, managing director of Joan London;Craig Spence, chief brand and communications officer at the IPCThis episode was hosted by Campaign's tech editor Lucy Shelley.Further reading:Why brands need to stop talking about ‘overcoming’ disabilitiesParalympians challenge perceptions in campaign ahead of Paris GamesChannel 4 cuts the ‘well-meant bullshit’ in 2024 Paralympic campaignPick of the Week: Channel 4 takes home gold in 2024 Paralympic campaignOrange “When you love sport, you love sport” by Publicis ConseilParalympics 2024 round-up: watch the adsChannel 4 in Paralympic ads deal with TikTok Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Campaign teamed up with Activision Blizzard Media to explore the world of gaming ads and how brands and agencies can make the most of it.Gaming is big business - worth almost $250bn last year. Tuned-in brands are diversifying their channel mix and turning to gaming to capitalise on fandom's fierce nature and the growing attention the channel now commands. Yet, despite being one of the world’s most popular entertainment channels, it's still one of the least understood by advertisers.In this special podcast, Campaign’s tech editor Lucy Shelley talks with Claire Nance, head of global gaming business success strategy for Activision Blizzard Media, the media arm of gaming giant Activision Blizzard which owns Candy Crush Saga, Call of Duty and World of Warcraft.Their wide-ranging conversation includes: debunking popular gaming myths, best practices for effectively reaching players, and the in-game measurements you should be paying attention to.If you want to up your ad game - listen in.This podcast episode is sponsored by Activision Blizzard Media Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Pay, people and pitching. Not just fantastic alliteration but also the basis for a number of features that have run over the summer using data from this year’s School Reports.Hosted by media editor Beau Jackson, who was joined by deputy editor Gemma Charles and premium content editor Nicola Merrifield, this episode digs deeper into the issues raised in the following articles:Is adland 'manipulating culture', or striking the right balance with hybrid-working rules?‘Winners and losers’: how agency bonuses dried up in 2023Agency pay revealed: junior wage rises slow as ‘balancing profitability gets harder’The waiting game: agency staff churn dips as restructuring hitsWhy the pitch positive pledge remains a diamond in the rough Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the school holidays. So in a more relaxed episode, the Campaign editorial team debates this summer's top cultural moments.Hosted by features editor Matt Barker, the team discusses what's been inspiring and entertaining them away from the advertising industry. TV shows, books, music, anything really!Senior creativity reporter Charlotte Rawlings educates us on Taylor Swift, tech editor Lucy Shelley talks through her theatre highlights and Barker imparts Wembley wisdom, exhibition recommendations and tales of giggling through Kafka. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After WPP's Q2 results, the Campaign team analyses why the agency group downgraded its annual forecast and saw revenues drop in China.Gideon Spanier, Campaign UK's editor-in-chief, discusses his recent interview with Mark Read, the chief executive of WPP, and the context behind his questioning which included the FGS sale and what's going on with Group M.Gideon Spanier, Campaign UK's editor-in-chief, sat down with WPP chief executive Mark Read to discuss the holdco's Q2 results.He is joined in the studio by Charlotte Rawlings, senior creativity reporter, who reminisces her school days with M&S and Mother's back-to-school campaign. Plus she takes us through the N Brown creative review which owns JD Williams, Simply Be and Jacamo.Hosted by tech editor Lucy Shelley, the trio discuss the latest feature from creativity and culture editor Alessandra Scotto di Santolo which digs into adland's hybrid working structure using data from Campaign's 2024 School Reports and how the industry might be "manipulating culture".Further reading:Group M appoints Zenith's Jon Stevens as chief growth officerDentsu results: EMEA bounces back strongly as group returns to modest growthDentsu whistleblower reports more than double amid major reformsVolvo launches review of global £353m media accountGrace Francis, Jamie Mancini, Katy Collins launch Wonderful Things Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Andy Jex, chief creative officer at TBWA\London, and Carren O'Keefe, chief creative officer at Digitas UK, join Campaign's senior creativity reporter, Charlotte Rawlings, to review some of the latest ads.Jex and O’Keefe explore the prevalent use of oil paintings and classical music in recent work. The pair discuss Bodyform “Never just a period” by Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO, Heineken “Forgotten beers” by LePub, TNT Sports “Only sport can do this” by Brothers & Sisters, Babybel “Let the goodness begin” by BETC, British Airways “A British original period drama" by Uncommon Creative Studio, and Thomas Cook and Marine Conservation Society “Deflatables” by McCann Birmingham.Further reading:Bodyform exposes menstrual health gaps in latest campaign by AMV BBDOHeineken urges socialising over sipping for International Beer DayTNT Sports launches first campaign by Brothers & SistersBabybel celebrates summer of sport with peeling billboardBritish Airways launches period-drama-style safety videoThomas Cook and ocean charity spotlight inflatables' environmental impact Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Campaign features editor Matt Barker is joined in the studio by senior media reporter Shauna Lewis and senior creativity reporter Charlotte Rawlings.The trio discuss Elon Musk's announcement that he will be suing the Global Alliance for Responsible Media in the US over an alleged "illegal boycott" of advertising on his X platform.Chat then turns to the potential problems faced by brands on social media to a backdrop of rioting and protests, before unpicking the latest from WPP after it reported a drop in like-for-like revenue (less pass-through costs) in Q2.Further reading'Now it is war': Elon Musk’s X sues advertisers over alleged ‘illegal boycott’Adland urged to step up over social media's role in UK riotsWPP now expects revenues to decline in 2024 after cutting forecast and 3,000 roles Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.